Baby Girl Names Meaning Love
Names for daughters rooted in love, affection, and the heart.
Cultural sweep of the theme
Love-themed girls' names come from many traditions: Hebrew (Ahava, Davina), Latin (Amada, Amita, Caridad, Bibiana), Italian and Spanish (Amara, Cara, Querida, Sajni, Mira, Mila), Greek (Eros, Philia), Arabic (Kalila, Mahbuba), Welsh (Anwen, Carwen), Japanese (Aiko — 'love child'), and Sanskrit (Sajni — 'beloved'). Across cultures, 'love' as a naming concept usually appears in one of three forms: passionate love (Amara), familial cherished-ness (Cara, Amita), or divine love (Ahava, Davina). The breadth of this list — names from over a dozen language families all meaning 'beloved' or 'love' — shows how universal the human impulse is to name children for love.
What this meaning carries
Love as a naming theme for daughters is one of the most universal across cultures. The names tell us what mothers and fathers across millennia have called their daughters from the first hour: beloved, dear, precious, cherished. The Hebrew Ahava is the same root as the verb 'to love'; the Arabic Habiba is its Semitic cousin; the Latin Amada and the Italian Amara come from amare, to love. Parents who choose love names for daughters often want the name to do double duty — to be both a beautiful sound and a small daily declaration of how the child is held. The Vietnamese Yêu, the Russian Lyuba, the Yoruba Olufunmilayo all carry the same essential meaning across very different languages: this child is loved. Love names tend to age beautifully across all life stages because love is a relevant theme at every age — a baby loved by parents, a young adult loved by friends, a grown woman loved by partners and children, an older woman loved by descendants.
Popularity trends (US SSA data)
Per US SSA data, love-themed girls' names are quietly popular. Amara entered the US top 500 in 2014 and is rising. Amy peaked in the US top 5 in the 1970s and has declined gracefully — now top 200. Mila entered the US top 30 in 2017 and is climbing fast — partly love-themed depending on which etymology you use (Mila can be 'gracious' or 'dear,' both love-adjacent). Esme entered the US top 500 in 2014 and is rising. Sienna broke the US top 300 in 2014. Most love-themed girls' names exist in different popularity tiers — Amara, Mila, and Esme are all rising; Bibiana and Querida remain rare.
Pronunciation notes for American audiences
Most love-themed girls' names read easily in American English. Trickier: Amara ('uh-MAR-uh'), Aiko ('AY-koh'), Caridad ('kah-ree-DAHD,' Spanish), Mahbuba ('mah-BOO-bah,' Arabic), Anwen ('AN-wen,' Welsh), Sajni ('SUJ-nee,' Hindi). Sienna is universally 'see-EN-uh' in the US. Esme can be 'ES-may' or 'EZ-may.' Mila is 'MEE-luh' in most American pronunciation.
The list
Middle name and sibling pairing
Love-themed girls' first names pair beautifully with classic English, Hebrew, or other middle names. Amara Grace, Mila Catherine, Esme Rose, Sienna Marie all flow. Stacking two love-themed names (Amara Cara, Mila Esme) can feel sweet but heavy on the same theme. For sibling sets, love-themed girls' names pair naturally with any boys' name.
What to consider before committing
Love-themed girls' names tend to age well — they suggest warmth without being saccharine. Nicknames: Amara → Mara, Ama; Amy (rarely shortened, it's already short); Mila (rarely shortened); Esme (rarely shortened); Sienna → Sie or Enna; Davina → Vinnie or Dav; Querida → Queri (rare); Sajni (rarely shortened in US English). Some love-themed names carry strong cultural-specific associations: Aiko reads as Japanese; Caridad reads as Spanish/Catholic; Anwen reads as Welsh; Mahbuba reads as Arabic-Muslim. Test initials. Most love-themed girls' names cross professional contexts comfortably. Watch popularity — Mila and Amara are climbing fast.
Still looking? Try our Baby Name Finder tool.
Filter by origin, meaning, popularity, and gender to narrow your shortlist. Save your favorites and download as a PDF.
Open the Baby Name Finder →How to pick a name
A great name balances three things: it sounds right with your last name, it carries meaning you can share with your child later, and it works at every stage of life — daycare nametag, school yearbook, job interview, dinner party introduction. Say each shortlist name out loud with your last name. Imagine yourself shouting it across a park. The right one usually emerges.
If you're choosing across two cultures, consider names that travel well — short, phonetic spellings; broadly pronounceable across languages. Names with deep cultural roots feel grounded even if the rest of life is global.